by
on April 20, 2023
One of the scariest moments that every automobile rider fears is getting into a car crash. Now, these car crashes can range from being either very serious to just a minor fender bender. In this article, we will take you through the numerous steps that you can follow when involved in a fender bender. Basically, the term fender bender is referred to a minor accident between two or more motor vehicles. If you own a motor vehicle, then definitely you must have thought about different ways to react in a situation where you’re involved in a collision. So, the first thing we recommend you do so is that if you’re involved in an accident, then immediately call 911 even if the accident is a minor one. Also, if you’re involved in an accident and the damage isn’t that much, you still have to go through a hefty process. To ease things for you, this article will take you through a quick guide to handle fender bender:
1. Check yourself for any injuries and remain calm
Yes, the first thing you need to do when involved in a collision is to remain calm and check yourself whether you’re hurt or not. Even a minor fender bender can be very terrifying and can for a moment take your breath away. There are also moments where people lose their calm in such situations and end up doing more damage to themselves either through stress or in some other way. Therefore, remain calm, inspect yourself and your passengers if there are any, and try to call 911 for medical assistance.
2. Move your car and park it aside from the road
When involved in an accident, there does come a thought to flee away from the scene. But trust us, it’s a very dumb thing to do and can in return make you end up in jail even if you weren’t the one responsible for it. Furthermore, try to move your car and park it aside from the road if you’re in the middle of the road or in the way of the other car driving on the road. People do make mistakes and let their car stay on the road after an accident which becomes a hassle for other drivers and even can dangerous if someone crashes into your car
3. Don’t apologize and wait for authorities to arrive
This is something very important and you need to remember this if a fender bender occurred and it's safe for you to come out of the car. What people here make a mistake is that they walk directly to the other car driver involved in the accident and straightaway apologize even if they are not involved. Making your apology can be troublesome since it’s an admission of guilt and if the other drivers sue you or commit insurance fraud then this whole scenario will become against you since you have admitted to your fault by making the apology. Therefore, wait for the authorities to arrive before making any decisions.
4. Check on other driver
After checking yourself and your passengers if they are okay after the crash, what you can do is that you can walk to another car driver and acquire whether he's ok. This is not mandatory but can save a life if the other person is hurt badly. Furthermore, in meantime, you can exchange information like name, phone number, and other necessary information.
5. Document the whole situation
Other than exchanging information, what other things you can do is try to document the whole situation of what happened and how it happened before the competent authorities arrive. This can be done through a number of ways, by taking pictures of the accident scene, the cars involved, and other things. Insurance companies tend to ask for details of the accident and in order to avoid explaining the whole situation, you can send them the photos with a short summary that could be self-explanatory. Furthermore, other things we recommend you to do is try to note down every little detail like exact location, the direction of the cars coming, time, license plate numbers, and other little things. In addition to this, if there are other people present at the scene where the accident occurred, you can request them for their names and contact information so that can be used as eyewitnesses if required.
6. Contact your insurance provider
Insurance companies play a very significant role in such situations. Contact your insurance provider and inform them all about the incident. The contact number of the insurance company will be on the card they have provided you with. There will be a situation in which the other person will ask you to resolve the issue by paying you off but simply decline it. Your insurance company will guide you further on how to handle the situation according to their protocols.
What if the other driver does not cooperate?
There might be a situation in which you may feel resentment from the other and he refuses to cooperate with you. There might also be a situation in which the other driver tries to flee away from the accident scene. In such a situation, try not to overreact and chase after the river involved in the accident. Instead, be vigilant and try to gather as much information you can about the other diver. Such as, his car make, model of his car, his car license plate number, car color, how he looked like, and any other information that can seem helpful for you. Record down this information on paper or in your phone so you don’t forget anything till the police arrive and once they arrive, share all this information with them.
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